Plasma flame hyperthermal exothermic furnace with
catalyst and combination thereof with
an internal combustion engine



p 1965 MATVAY Re. 25,858

PLASMA FLAME HYPERTHERMAL EXOTHERMIC FURNACE WITH CATALYST ANDCOMBINATION THEREOF WITH AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Original FiledNov. 16, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 6 I) O O [I Q.

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INVENTOR. LEO MATl AY BYM/M/ ATTO-PNEXS Sept. 21, 1965 L. MATVAY Re.25,858

PLASMA FLAME HYPERTHERMAL EXOTHERMIC FURNACE WITH CATALYST ANDCOMBINATION THEREOF WITH AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Original FiledNov. 16, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Firs- E INVENTOR. LEO MATVAY B M, M14,

H-M DLM United States Patent 0 25,858 PLASMA FLAME HYPERTHERMALEXOTHERMIC FURNACE WITH CATALYST AND COMBINA- TION THEREOF WITH ANINTERNAL COMBUS- TION ENGINE Leo Matvay, 603 San Juan Drive, #7,Sunnyvale, Calif. Original No. 3,091,920, dated June 4, 1963, Ser. No.853,131, Nov. 16, 1959. Application for reissue May 24, 1965, Ser. No.460,613

12 Claims. (Cl. 60-30) This invention relates to plasma flame apparatusand more particularly to a hypertbermal exothermic furnace which alsoemploys the use of a catalytic agent.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device foroperation in the very high temperature range, hyperthermal, using acatalytic agent if required to process or refine or dissociate ordecompose the work matter.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a plasma flamedevice where both electrodes are sufficiently and effectively cooled tomake it possible to operate the device on D.C.S.P., D.C.R.P., or AC.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide electrodeswith large cross section area to carry a high electrical current.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a methodof introducing the work matter that is to be processed or refined ordissociated or decomposed into the furnace.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide the methodof combining a catalytic agent with the refractory to act as bothrefractory and catalyst.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a smogelimination device which can be produced, packaged, and sold in largequantities at a comparatively low cost, and which can be convenientlyutilized on any make of automobile, truck or motorcycle.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a hightemperature furnace which can be produced, packaged, and sold at acomparatively low cost and which can be conveniently utilized wheneverneeded.

Still additional objects, benefits, and advantages of this inventionwill become evident from a study of the following detailed descriptiontaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in axial section of a furnace embodying a preferredform of this invention; FIGURE 2 is a schematic view showing the furnaceof FIGURE 1 in combination with an internal combustion engine; and,FIGURE 3 is a schematic view showing a modified form of combination ofthe furnace of FIGURE 1 with an internal combustion engine.

Briefly this invention comprises providing a plasma flame hyperthermal,exothermic, furnace comprising a housing having one portion, a plasmaflame generator, in which two electrodes of opposite charge and largecrosssectional area are disposed and into which work matter introducedto form a plasma flame and a second portion, a reaction furnace, orchamber having a suitable lining such as refractory and a catalyst andbeing adapted to receive the plasma flame and catalyticallydisassociated or decompose it. Such a plasma flame furnace isparticularly adapted for mounting on an automobile, truck or motorcycle,for example, to receive the engine exhaust to decompose or disassociatethe same to eliminate smog resulting therefrom. The furnace is providedwith a cooling system using either a liquid or gas coolant, as desired,and is adapted for use with D.C.S.P., D.C.R.P. or alternating current.

The furnace preferably includes one or more Pitot tubes, whichcommunicate with the second portion thereof just downstream of thenearest electrode, through Re. 25,858 Reissued Sept. 21, 1965 ICC whichcatalyst as a liquid, slurry, powder or rod and/or additional workmatter may be introduced into the furnace. In addition, and/oralternatively, all or part of the catalyst is incorporated in a suitablerefractory lining, such as Aluminum Company of America's XClOt) ormineral chromite, formed into the desired shape and used to line thesecond portion of the furnace.

The furnace is adapted for attachment to the tail or exhaust pipe of anyautomobile or the like to function as a smog eliminator by exposing theunburned gases, hydrocarbons, olefins, acroleins, formaldehydcs, leadand nitric oxide to the high temperature of the furnace to cause them todisassociate and decompose and further to expose this work matter to thecatalytic agent to render it harmless to human beings.

Further, when used as a smog eliminator on automobiles, or the like,having internal combustion engines, the furnace is preferably andconveniently provided with a cooling system, which can be interconnectedwith the existing cooling system of the automobile, etc. or with theexisting engine intake manifold to provide either a water or air coolingsystem for the furnace as desired, and the electrical current for theelectrodes is preferably supplied by the generator commonly associatedwith the engine.

The catalyst is adapted to decompose nitric oxide into nitrogen andoxygen and hydrocarbons into carbon dioxide and water and preferablycomprises copper oxide.

The furnace can also be used, inter alia, with a high purity inert gasas work matter entering the first portion of the furnace to provide aplasma flame to process or refine high purity, high melting temperaturemetals and non-metals, to disassociate ammonia added, through the Pitottubes, as a second work matter, and be used in an atmosphere produced byadding propane through the Pitot tubes to provide a special atmospherefor the carbonization of desired products; and, with hydrocarbons in anydesired form (liquid, slurry, powder or gas), with the inert gas plasmaflame, as needed, to crack the hydro carbons.

Referring now specifically to the drawing, a plasma flame, hyperthermal,exothermic furnace embodying this invention is indicated generally at10. The plasma flame, hyperthermal, exothermic furnace 10 is preferablygenerally cylindrical in shape with a hollow interior and includes aflange adapter 12 by which the delivery piping, through which the inertgas, working gas, vapor or suspended solids in a conveying gas, calledwork matter 29, is conducted to the furnace 10, is attached to theintake adapter 13.

The electrical and heat insulator 14 has a large cylindrical holeaxially aligned with the large cylindrical holes in the flange adapter12, intake adapter 13, washer electrode 17, furnace jacket 18,refractory lining 19, spacer 20, and end cap 21.

The electrode chuck 15 is located so as to be well insulated within theelectrical and heat insulator 14 to prohibit any electrical shortcircuiting. The rod electrode 16 is located on the axial center line bythe electrode chuck 15 in the center of the axially aligned cylindricalhole of the washer electrode 17.

The washer electrode 17 is held in place against the inward flange ofthe furnace jacket 18 by the refractory lining 19, and the spacer 20,which in turn are all firmly held in place by the threaded end cap 21.

The Pitot tubes 22, one shown, can be located as required to introduceadditional work matter 29 or a catalytic agent into the arc region 23 orinto the hyperthermal exothermic reaction chamber 24 to be acted upon bythe plasma flame 25.

The helical coolant coil 26 is wound around the furnace 3 jacket 18 andis welded or brazed to it. The coolant enters at coolant inlet 27 andflows through the coolant passage in the electrode check 15 around therod electrode 16 next through the coolant passage in the electrical andheat insulator 14 and then through the helical coolant coil 26 andfinally out at the coolant outlet 28.

The operation of this device will now be readily understood. Underpressure inert gas such as argon or helium or other working gases orvapors or suspended solids in a conveying gas, called work matter 29,enter the plasma flame hyperthermal exothermic furnace 10 through theflange adapter 12 and intake adapter 13.

The work matter 29 flows through the axially aligned cylindrical hole inthe electrical and heat insulator 14, around the electrode chuck 15,into the arc region 23. At this point, the arc region 23, the spacebetween the rod electrode 16 and washer electrode 17, the electricalenergy is transformed into heat and at the same instant as the workmatter 29 passes through the arc region 23 a portion of the work matter29 becomes ionized and thus becomes a plasma flame 25.

The plasma flame 25 and the remaining work matter 29 now have beenheated. The temperature to which the plasma flame 25 and work matter 29are raised to is dependent upon a number of physical, chemical, andelectrical factors.

The dependent physical factors are such things as the space or gapbetween the rod electrode 16 and the washer electrode 17 which determinethe electrical arc jump distance, impedance. The size of the hole in thewasher electrode 17 controls the amount of construction upon the flow ofwork matter 29. Therefore the smaller the hole diameter in the washerelectrode 17 the greater the constriction of the work matter 29 and thusa greater concentration of heat and electrical energy.

The dependent chemical factors are such things as is the work matter 29monatornic or diatomic or molecular in structure, is the chemicalreaction of the work matter 29 exothermic or endothermic, and is thecatalytic agent highly or moderately active. These chemical factors inthemselves determine whether the plasma flame, hyperthermal, exothermicfurnace 10 will develop temperatures of only a few hundred degrees ortemperatures as high as sixty thousand degrees.

The dependent electrical factors are such things as the amount currentused and whether the electrical current used is D.C.S.P. or D.C.R.P. orAC.

In most metals a few electrons in the outer portion of the atom are veryloosely bound to the nucleus of the atom Accordingly a metal is definedas a lender of electrons. As a result large numbers of these electronsare free to drift about in the interatomic space. However when theelectrons are attached by connecting the conductor to a electrical powersource they will accelerate owing to the force of attraction but thespeed attained by any individual electron will be relatively smallbecause it will bump into one of the many atoms before it has gone farand bounce off in another direction. The energy which the elector hadabsorbed by reason of its acceleration is given up to the atom andappears in the form of heat.

It therefore follows from the above electron theory that where aD.C.S.P. circuit is used the electron flow, kinetic energy, is from thenegatively charged electrode to the positively charged electrode andalso the negatively charged electrode will remain relatively cool incomparison to the hot positively charged electrode. Therefore in aD.C.S.P. circuit the positively charged electrode will require coolingin some manner. However when a D.C.R.P. or AC. circuit is used bothelectrodes must be sufficiently cooled to keep them melting andspattering because of the high temperature concentration upon theirsurface and within them.

The plasma flame 25 and the work matter 29 now enter the hyperthermal,exothermic reaction chamber 24. Also at this instant in thehyperthermal, exothermic reaction chamber 24 the heated work matter 29comes in contact with the refractory lining 19. The refractory lining 19itself may be a catalytic agent or composed of a mixture of refractorymaterial and catalytic agent.

Also through the Pitot tube 22 more or another work matter 29 or acatalytic agent may be introduced into the hyperthermal, exothermicreaction chamber 24 or into the arc region 23 to be processed or refinedor dissociated or decomposed.

Finally the work matter 29 and other products are expelled out of thehyperthermal exothermic reaction chamber 24 as processed, refined,dissociated or decomposed products, called end products 30.

The electrical current is supplied to the plasma flame, hyperthermal,exothermic furnace 10 by way of the electrical conductors 31 and 32 fromthe power source 33. The power source 33 may be an electric arc weldinggenerator or transformer or when the plasma flame hyperthermal furnace10 is used as a smog eliminator the power source would be theautomobile, truck or motorcycle generator 35, see FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 2 discloses the furnace 10 mounted on vehicle 36 to treat theexhaust gases, of internal combustion engine 37, which are conducted tothe furnace 10 by suitable piping 39. Vehicle 36 also includes aconventional generator 34, which as noted above is adapted to supplypower to the furnace 10 and an engine cooling system, indicatedgenerally at 40, with which the coolant coil 26 of furnace 10 and moreparticularly the inlet 27 end outlet 28, respectively, are connected bysuitable means indicated generally at 41.

FIGURE 3 discloses a modified combination of furnace 10 with vehicle 36and engine 37 in which the coolant coil of the furnace is connected withthe intake manifold 42 of the engine and the air is drawn into themanifold through inlet 27, coil 26, outlet 28 and interconnecting pipingmeans 43.

While this invention has been described with particular reference to theconstruction shown in the drawing and while various changes may be madein the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changesshall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as definedby the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination an internal combustion engine, an engine exhaustsystem for said engine, an electric current generator driven by saidengine, and a plasma flame, hyperthermal, exothermic furnace fortreating the exhaust gases from said engine, said furnace comprising ahousing having a hollow interior with intake and discharge ends, saidintake end of said housing being interconnected with said exhaust systemand receiving the exhaust gases from said engine, said furnacecomprising a plasma flame generator portion and a reaction chamberportion, said generator portion receiving the gases entering throughsaid intake end, first and second electrode means in said generatorportion, means connected with said electric current generator forpassing an electric arc between said electrodes to act upon at least aportion of the said gases entering through said intake openings togenerate a plasma flame, said reaction chamber portion being disposedintermediate said generator portion and said discharge end and beinginterconnected with said generator portion and discharge end to receivethe plasma flame and gases associated therewith and to discharge throughsaid discharge end, catalyst means disposed in said reaction chamberportion to have functional contact with said plasma flame and gases todisassociate all or part thereof into constituent parts.

2. The combination according to claim 1 in which said plasma flamefurnace also comprises means for cooling at least a portion thereof.

3. The combination according to claim 2 in which said engine has acooling system and said plasma furnace cooling means is interconnectedtherewith.

4. The plasma flame, hyperthermal, exothermic furnace according to claim2 in which said cooling means has a liquid coolant.

5. The combination according to claim 2 in which said engine has anintake manifold, and said plasma furnace cooling means has air as acoolant and is interconnected with said intake manifold.

6. A plasma flame, hyperthermal, exothermic furnace comprising a housinghaving a hollow interior with an intake end for the introduction of workmatter and a discharge end, said furnace comprising a plasma flamegenerator portion and a reaction chamber portion, said generator portionreceiving work matter entering through said intake end, first and secondelectrode means in said generator portion, means connected with asuitable power source for passing an electric are between saidelectrodes to act upon at least a portion of said work matter togenerate a plasma flame, said reaction chamber portion being disposedintermediate said generator portion and said discharge end and beinginterconnected with said generator portion and discharge end to receivesaid plasma flame and residual work matter associated therewith, and todischarge through said discharge end, and catalyst means disposed insaid reaction chamber portion to have functional contact with saidplasma flame and work matter to treat at least a portion thereof.

7. A plasma flame, hyperthermal, exothermic furnace as set forth inclaim 6 having at least one transversely extending Pitot tube providingaccess to said reaction chamber portion, at least a portion of saidcatalyst being introduced into said reaction chamber portion through atleast one said Pitot tube.

8. The plasma flame, hyperthermal, exothermic furnace according to claim.6 having at least one transversely extending Pitot tube providingaccess to said reaction chamber portion in which at least a portion ofthe work matter to be treated in said furnace is introduced into saidreaction chamber portion through at least one said Pitot tube.

9. The plasma flame, hyperthermal, exothermic furnace according to claim6 with means for cooling at least one said electrode.

10. The plasma flame, hyperthermal, exothermic furnace according toclaim 9 in which said cooling means also cools said reaction chamberportion.

11. The plasma flame, hyperthermal, exothermic furnace according toclaim 6 in which said reaction chamber portion has a refractory liningand at least a portion of said catalyst is disposed within and forms apart of said refractory lining.

12. A plasma flame, hyperthermal, exothermic furance according to claim6 in which said electrodes have a substantially large cross-sectionalarea whereby to carry a high electric current.

References Cited by the Examiner The following references cited by theExaminer, are of record in the patented file of this patent or theoriginal patent.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,347,631 7/20 Herck. 1,789,812 l/3l Frazer.2,038,567 4/36 Ittner. 2,071,119 2/37 Harger. 2,203,554 6/40 Uhri et.al. 2,649,685 8/53 Cohen. 2,678,261 5/54 Ruth. 2,686,399 8/54 Stoltz.2,728,408 12/55 Deliman. 2,771,736 11/56 McKinley. 2,819,423 1/58 Clark.2,880,079 3/59 Cornelius. 2,922,869 l/ Giannini. 2,937,490 5/60 Calvert.

MARK NEWMAN, Primary Examiner.

